Instagram Scraping in 2024: New Methods and Proxy Solutions
Instagram has been implementing changes to their platform, making web scraping increasingly challenging. Even viewing profiles in incognito mode can be problematic, with users frequently encountering error messages that require page reloads or preventing access entirely.
The previously effective endpoint for retrieving Instagram profiles using handles still functions, but with an important caveat: you now consistently need residential proxies rather than data center IPs.
Residential Proxy Options
When comparing proxy solutions, Luna Proxy has emerged as a cost-effective option. Their residential proxy service starts at $3.30, making it more affordable than competitors like Smart Proxy, which begins at $4.50. For high-volume users, Luna offers packages at approximately $1 per gigabyte, which is significantly cheaper than many alternatives.
The cost difference between residential and data center proxies is substantial – residential proxies can be 10 times more expensive than data center options. However, for Instagram scraping, residential proxies are now essential.
Working with User IDs
An important workaround involves user IDs. While you can’t retrieve profile information with a data center IP directly from handles, you can use the user ID for certain requests. This approach is particularly useful for regular scraping tasks:
- First scrape the profile using a residential proxy
- Save the user ID to your database
- Use that ID for subsequent requests
The user ID can be found in the “web profile info” endpoint response when examining network traffic during profile visits.
Scraping Posts
A recently discovered API endpoint provides an efficient way to scrape posts. While this endpoint requires residential IPs as well, it delivers comprehensive post data. The response includes a “next_max_ID” parameter that enables pagination through all available content.
Interestingly, a new API format (API V1) appears to be in use for certain content types like clips/reels. Early testing suggests this may work with data center IPs, potentially offering a more cost-effective approach for specific content types.
The response format is consistent between these endpoints, making it straightforward to implement pagination by passing the returned max ID parameter to retrieve subsequent pages of content.
Conclusion
Instagram scraping in 2024 requires adapting to platform changes and using appropriate proxy solutions. By understanding the distinction between different endpoints and implementing user ID caching strategies, developers can create more efficient and cost-effective scraping solutions.